For Science and Technology

Yellowstone volcano 2.5 times larger than previously thought

March 2014– GEOLOGY – The supervolcano beneath the surface of Yellowstone National Park is 2.5 times larger than previously believed according to a study from the University of Utah. The supervolcano is part of what is known as a caldera, an underground volcano forming a shape like a cauldron. More accurate details about the caldera were discovered by measuring the seismic waves of the underground magma which is anywhere from 3 to 9 miles beneath the surface of the earth. The length of the caldera is 88.5 km (~50 miles) with a width of 29 km (~18 miles). The lead author of the study, Jamie Farrell, claims the quantity of lava in the supervolcano is enough to give rise to what would be among the top three eruptions over the past 2.1 million years. Sulfur entering the upper atmosphere would turn to sulfur dioxide, circle the globe and drop…